This invention relates to preparation of carbon components for a coating process and, more particularly, to cleaning the carbon component before the coating process with a cleaning agent having a relatively low viscosity for penetrating the carbon component and having a relatively low amount of volatile organic compound (“VOC”).
Carbon components, such as carbon seals, are widely known and used in high speed machinery such as gas turbine engines. Typically, the carbon component is coated in a coating process with one or more layers that enhance the durability of the carbon component. To promote adhesion between the layer and the carbon component, the carbon component is cleaned with a cleaning agent before the coating process to remove debris from surfaces of the carbon component.
Traditional cleaning agents have several drawbacks. For example, after cleaning with a traditional cleaning agent, such as methanol, the carbon component is dried at an elevated temperature for up to four hours to vaporize and remove any residual cleaning agent. The time and expense of drying equipment adds to the expense of the carbon component. Moreover, methanol includes relatively high levels of VOCs, which are often regulated by federal, state, or local governments.
Therefore, what is a needed is a cleaning method that reduces or eliminates the need for extensive drying and uses a cleaning agent having cleaning effectiveness at least as good as that of existing cleaning agents but with lower amounts of VOCs. This invention addresses those needs while avoiding the shortcomings and drawbacks of the prior art.